The Rambling Runner Podcast

The World Championships are almost here and Nico Montañez is ready. In his fifth appearance in the Road to the Trials series, Nico provides a full download on all things World Champs.

First we talk about the selection process and his reason for accepting the offer after turning it down in 2019. Nico provides some context to how decisions like this can get tricky when weighed against the possibility of potentially larger paydays at other marathons. Then we go into full training and racing talk highlighted by a full breakdown of the "marathon concentration workouts" that were featured in the fantastic new video on Citius Mag YouTube channel that followed him on one of those strong efforts. This three workout progression provides him with the physical and mental stamina for race-day and his description of them was illuminating. Nico then shares his full mid-run nutrition program and why it has changed over time. Lastly, we talk about logistics for the World Championships.

As always, Nico's openness and thoughtfulness are one-of-a-kind.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout.

Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic places on earth. They host half marathons, ultramarathons and trail running festivals at national parks around the country and multi-day running adventures all over the world! Use our codes to save serious money at www.vacationraces.com on these incredible adventures:

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My good friends Tina Muir and Zoë Rom are back on the podcast to help all of us improve our running performance for the longterm, improve our personal communities, and our planet.

This week their new book Becoming a Sustainable Runner is launching and it is EXCELLENT. This approachable book contains training tips and takeaways for beginner runners and elites alike, teaching them how to approach their own practice in a more sustainable way. It also serves as a useful guide to help runners take meaningful and effective action on climate justice. Weaving together personal stories, research, and expert input, Tina and Zoë illustrate how every runner can better support their own endurance journey, and how they can extend those lessons into meaningful environmental action.

Becoming a Sustainable Runner makes a compelling case not just for the “how” of environmental stewardship, but the “why,” so that every athlete can connect their love of running to the landscapes that nourish that love.

You can order their new book at https://becomingasustainablerunner.com.

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Today on the show we have an intellectual powerhouse - Dr. Kevin Stone. The episode is on the shorter side for this podcast but it is jam packed with high level expertise that you won't want to miss.

Dr. Stone of The Stone Clinic is a leading orthopedic surgeons, Ted Talk Speaker, founder of the Stone Research Foundation, and author of Play Forever: How to Recover from Injury and Thrive. He’s been featured in The New York Times, Triathlete Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Well + Good and many others. Dr. Stone regularly works with weekend warriors to elite endurance athletes showing patients how injuries can lead to a lifetime of high-performance fitness and athleticism. 

Dr. Stone is an expert in a wide range of topics and is particularly passionate about the advancements of regenerative medicine, Biologic Intelligence, and is one of the world’s leading experts in meniscus transplantation. Dr. Stone also discusses fascinating patient case studies that prove you can thrive after injury. In particular, the one patient ran 3,200 miles across America over three months (that's over 40 miles a day) after two partial knee replacements. 

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge.

Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic places on earth. They host half marathons, ultramarathons and trail running festivals at national parks around the country and multi-day running adventures all over the world! Use our codes to save serious money at www.vacationraces.com on these incredible adventures:

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In this episode I sit down with Dr. Tommy Martin. Tommy, who first appeared on the show in episode 235, is a doctor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, a husband to a fellow endurance athlete and doctor, and a father to Oliver, who has rare condition called Lamb Shaffer Syndrome.

I invited Tommy back on the show to talk about how he balances and organizes he crazy life, going after big endurance goals on a busy schedule, how his power lifting goals work alongside his running/triathlon goals, foundations for a worthwhile life, and fatherhood.

You can follow Tommy at www.instagram.com/dr.tommymartin.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge.

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Erica Weitz is on her third Olympic Trials Qualifying cycle - a remarkable goal/achievement for a dedicated amateur runner. Her first attempt in 2016 fell short by the slimmest of margins. She was able to reach her dream goal in 2019 in a remarkable performance after a year of injuries. Now, she is working her tail off in order to try and go under 2:37. She's doing all of this with her trademark high-energy style.

I've wanted to get Erica on the podcast for a long time and the wait was certainly worth it. Erica also discusses the Orlando OTQ course and noon start time from the perspective of an Orlando resident.

You can learn more about Erica at www.instagram.com/exclusiveerica.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge.

Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic places on earth. They host half marathons, ultramarathons and trail running festivals at national parks around the country and multi-day running adventures all over the world! Use our codes to save serious money at www.vacationraces.com on these incredible adventures:

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Wow! Six years since the start of the Rambling Runner Podcast. Thank you to everyone for listening to the show - it means more than I can express. In this episode, I do an Ask Me Anything to a bunch of questions that were submitted on Instagram. The questions focused on the motivations behind the show, how it started, what's changed in the industry, lessons learned, and so much more!

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING.

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Carmen Graves returns to Road to the Trials to detail her exciting summer. Carmen locked down a new sponsor (Oiselle), made a emotionanal decision to enter a meet and hurt her foot in the process, limited her training, and ran a PR in the 3000m steeplechase at USA's. An eventful three months, that's for sure!

You can follow Carmen at www.instagram.com/carmenpelar and read her writing on her website https://carmenpelar.com/.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge.

Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic places on earth. They host half marathons, ultramarathons and trail running festivals at national parks around the country and multi-day running adventures all over the world! Use our codes to save serious money at www.vacationraces.com on these incredible adventures:

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Dr. Jess Mena, doctor of physical therapy, coach at Lift, Run, Perform, and longtime podcast favorite, is back! In this episode, Jess and I talk about the "Good Enough" zone. First we discuss what it is, how it's different for each person, and how it can change over time. Then the podcast is broken into two parts: When to embrace "good enough" and when to strive for more.

Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess.

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING.

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Ramiro "DJ Curly" Guillen is back for his latest installment in the Road to the Trials series. Last month Ramiro and his amazing wife Melissa welcomed a baby girl into the world! We dive into the specifics of how that went for him and Melissa before diving into training talk. The birth of their daughter led to Curly cancelling his Grandma's Marathon experience and altering his summer training and racing plans. As he continues to build and gain fitness, Ramiro is showing signs that he is close to top form in a recent four mile time trial - a fantastic feet for a masters runner.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge.

Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic places on earth. They host half marathons, ultramarathons and trail running festivals at national parks around the country and multi-day running adventures all over the world! Use our codes to save serious money at www.vacationraces.com on these incredible adventures:

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Jon Levitt is back on the show and it couldn't have come at a better time. Over the last year Jon experienced significant lows in his high running life. He battled back from them by stepping away from hard core training and it made all the difference. Now, Jon is revitalized, back training at a high level, and about to embark on a wild summer of racing and pacing that fits him perfectly. In this episode Jon details all of it with his trademark candor and thoughtfulness.

You can listen to Jon's podcast, For the Long Run, here: https://forthelong.run.

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING. Get 6 free Edge energy gels at https://ucan.co/rambling.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices